Picture
by steshin
Summary: [oneshot]Perhaps she had only been an obligation to him. Yes, an obligation he grew tired of. She was just someone he was obliged to protect. Protect but not love…but in the end, he still kept her.


_Picture_

_by steshin_

* * *

She had regrets. And leaving him was one of those regrets. If she had never decided to leave him, it would've been her standing by the altar with him. She would have been together with him in matrimony and she would've been happy even for a moment. 

But she knew it was a selfish regret.

She watched at how Athrun slipped the ring on Meyrin's finger and forced a pretense smile on. If she did everything her heart wanted, her country would be with no leader. To choose an entire nation over him spelt obvious reasons why she decided to fill in her father's shoes.

But she was still only human, and humans cry.

She cried every night for the thought of having let go of him and how he did nothing to make her stay. Even if she knew she had to give him up, she still wanted to feel needed, maybe even loved; and having seen no fight in his eyes to make her stay made her feel so hollow. Perhaps she had only been an obligation to him. Yes, an obligation he grew tired of.

She was just someone he was obliged to protect. Protect but not love…

It was wrong to think of that though, after all, he did care for her.

But not love…

* * *

The location for the reception was breathtaking. Beside the beach were the sun was setting. The sky was an orange pool, drenching everything in tangerine hue. She wondered if there was ever a day like this in her life that she had noticed when she was still with him but seriously doubted it because of the duties. 

The cake was sliced and everyone cheered and clanked their spoons to their glasses, demanding for a kiss, and when the newly wed obliged…she looked away. Bitterly biting her lower lip, and twisting the napkin on the lap, fighting the tears to stay in, she almost failed at that.

When she was asked to make a light speech for the couple, she almost died. Technically to her, she had already died but still, she forced herself to stand and take the mike. She looked around the expectant eyes and wide smiles anticipating her words.

She smiled. And how hollow it was…She stopped her gaze at the couple and said.

"May you have happiness in your new lives."

* * *

And they were happy…for seven months of blissful marriage. 

An annulment was filed. She was shocked with the news of course. Whenever she saw them, they never really seemed to have any sort of problem but it was guessed that it only looked like that. It had been four weeks, after their separation. From what she heard, there was no trouble with custody or the sort.

She was, however, heavily intrigued to the cause of their break-up. Half wishing it wasn't because of her and half wishing that it were…

Finally she would get her answer. Athrun stopped by at the orphanage, exactly the same day she decided to pay her brother a visit. They didn't talk much, idle prattle perhaps but that seemed to be it.

* * *

Cagalli thanked Lacus for the wonderful meal she had prepared. Lacus was flattered to hear this and flashed her a grateful smile. She teased the singer that with her cooking skills; Kira would ultimately consider Lacus to be his wife. The singer could only blush. 

She stepped out for a walk on the shore. She watched the waves crash to the seas and the seagulls flying away in the darkness. The stars were peeking out but was concealed by a smudge of the clouds

He was suddenly standing beside her. She didn't know how he appeared unnoticed.

Perhaps, she was going rusty. The time to ask the question came. She asked him her question.

Stepping close to her, he took her hand and squeezed it. He tucked a golden tress behind her hair, noted the glazed eyes with tears on her face and pulled her to a warm embrace where he whispered his answer.

_"I thought I had moved on but I didn't…because I still kept a picture of you close to me."_

* * *

Disclaimer: I don't own Gundam Seed. 

A/n: This was an old drabble I thought I had lost. I dusted and edited it a bit and here it is.


End file.
